The Wilson Post
LEBANON WEATHER

Meeting seeks to address bullying in schools




Mike Johnson speaks to those in attendance at a recent community meeting held at Lebanon High School to discuss cyberbullying and harassment as Wilson County Sheriff Robert Bryan looks on.Dallus Whitfield

Mike Johnson speaks to those in attendance at a recent community meeting held at Lebanon High School to discuss cyberbullying and harassment as Wilson County Sheriff Robert Bryan looks on.Dallus Whitfield

The heartbroken and bewildered father of a Lebanon High School student clung to the podium Tuesday night, putting his heart on the line about the recent death of his daughter during a special-called community meeting to address the issue of cyberbullying and harassment.

Organized by Wilson County Schools, the meeting took place at the very high school Mike Johnson’s 15-year-old daughter attended before her untimely death two weeks ago. He pleaded with students and parents to be kind to one another and to talk about the “brutal” rumors spread on social media after his daughter’s death.

On Wednesday, Wilson County Sheriff Robert Bryan talked to The Wilson Post about the meeting and what action his office is taking on the matter.

“We wanted to give the community the opportunity to see what is happening and for this not to ever happen again,” he said. “We’ve been in contact with the family, and they were so frustrated about the social media buzz that erupted with pointing fingers and blaming, and they could not even grieve this young girl’s death.”

Bryan said he has contacted the Wilson County District Attorney’s office and is working with officials outside of Tennessee to obtain the young girl’s cell phone.

“Yes, I’ve opened an investigation after all the stuff that was on social media,” he said. “We will get that phone back and see if there was any bullying, harassment or stalking.”

Depending on what is found, he added further enforcement of the law could take place in relation to the death.

And while Johnson mentioned his daughter by name at the meeting, he later indicated he did not want her name batted around. Out of respect for his wishes, her name will not be printed in this article.

“Most of you all know me, and some of you don’t, but all of you here have heard about my daughter, or as I liked to call her, ‘Peanut.’ This is my Facebook right here, right in front of all of you, he said to the crowd of about 100 in attendance. “I’m going to take a minute right now, and if anybody has any questions for me and/or my child and my family, raise your hand. Right now … I don’t see no hands, so I guess I’m going to keep talking.”

Others who spoke on the issue included Wilson County Director of Schools Dr. Donna Wright, Bryan and Wilson County Juvenile Court Judge Barry Tatum.

Wright said she wanted to make sure parents are armed with and informed about some of the latest laws and court cases involving school bullying.

“Parents have more legal rights than ever before when it comes to getting relief from persistent bullies and, in some cases, the parents of these teenagers,” she said. “Some of the laws are so new, people may not even be aware of them. Certainly, our schools play an important role in making sure students can attend class without fear of harassment but, in some cases, we’re talking about situations that involve more than a school policy violation. It’s a crime.”

Johnson’s talk with the audience was the most compelling.

“I’ve been a father for 25 years,” he said. “The very next day after I put my daughter in the ground, I celebrated my oldest son’s 25th birthday. Wow. Anybody done that? Five days after that, I celebrated my 41st birthday. Who in here has buried their children? (A woman in the crowd raised her hand.) You understand my anger? Did you have social media then? (The woman responded affirmatively.) Brutal, isn’t it?”

Bryan echoed the grieving father’s alarm.

“This father said he didn’t know if bullying caused her to kill herself,” Bryan said. “He can’t confirm it. He thought it could have been some type of feud. People are just mean. Technology can be great, and it can be bad.”

The sheriff noted the purpose of Tuesday’s meeting was to open the lines of communication, adding that parents are responsible for their kids, and it begins at home.

“We need to know what our kids are doing,” he told The Wilson Post. “We need to talk to our kids. This is just not Lebanon High School. Nobody is immune to this. This has been going on for years, but people our age can’t look back and read those bullying words. It’s all on social media.”

Johnson said he had no clue his daughter was capable of hurting herself.

“You raise your child to have thick skin and to not be afraid of speaking up and speaking out and not be afraid of talking to somebody … I didn’t see it coming,” he said. “I had no idea. You cannot prepare yourself for anything like this. You raise your child the way that you do it, and you make sure your child has tough skin, but that still doesn’t stop what has happened to my daughter.

“Just be nice. That could solve a lot. That goes for us adults, too. I’m going to ask one more time before I go and sit with my family and friends — does anybody have questions that pertains to me, my family or my daughter? I haven’t even had the chance to really cry.”

Mt. Juliet City Commissioner Ray Justice was also in attendance at the meeting.

“Such a sad circumstance,” he said. “… The school system is working to address the issues and have placed an emphasis on bullying and behavior that causes harm to our children. I personally believe social media behavior has reached an all-time low, and it all begins at the home. Please be an example that you can be proud your children follow. Hold your kids accountable. It’s sad we can’t hold adults accountable.”

Johnson urged those in attendance to stop posting things to social media, noting that if someone had something to say to him, they should say it to him personally and not speculate about it.

“Because I’m going to tell you right now, I don’t even have her phone,” he said. I was there seconds after it happened. I don’t know if it was bullying. I don’t know if it was a parent thing. I don’t know if it was a stack of bricks on top of a stack of bricks. All I know is my daughter is dead, and she’s not coming back.”

Wilson County Schools spokesperson Jennifer Johnson said the purpose of Tuesday’s meeting was to inform parents about steps they could take to “ensure their child doesn’t become the next victim.”

“In some cases, this may involve reporting the incident to a school counselor or principal. In others, more drastic steps may be required, including legal action,” Johnson continued.

Parents and students were told that if they or someone they know is being bullied, they should report it to authorities immediately.

Johnson expanded on her thoughts Wednesday.

“Bullying is not new, but cell phones and social media have given bullies more power than ever before,” she said. “I dare say there’s not a high school in the country that isn’t having to grapple with this issue right now.

“Over the past week and a half, a lot of allegations have been made in the media about incidents of bullying at Lebanon High School. Some of those allegations are accurate, while others have no factual basis whatsoever. Either way, the time seemed right to have a community meeting and find some ways we can all work together to address this painful and growing epidemic.”

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